Updated August 19, 2025 at 2:38 PM EDT
If you鈥檝e spent any time online the past few weeks, you鈥檝e probably seen the fervent discussions, funny memes and frenzied fan energy about Amazon Prime鈥檚 hit series 鈥淭he Summer I Turned Pretty.鈥�
Based on Jenny Han鈥檚 best-selling books, the show follows Isabel 鈥淏elly鈥� Conklin, played by Lola Tung, and her complicated (yet deliciously messy) relationship with her two childhood friends: brothers Conrad and Jeremiah Fisher. Conrad, played by Chris Briney, is the broody heartthrob who has long had first place in Belly鈥檚 heart. Jeremiah is the younger and sunnier brother.
Last we saw our intrepid protagonists, at the end of Season 2, Belly decided to ride off into the sunset with Jeremiah as half the viewing audience screamed 鈥渨rong guy.鈥� (Full disclosure: most of us at Here & Now are Team Conrad) But flash forward, four years later, Belly and Jeremiah are still together. Conrad is now brooding on the West Coast, pursuing a career in medicine and still yearning for Belly.
Even though the show is based on her books, series creator and showrunner Han said the story鈥檚 ending could stray from readers鈥� expectations.
鈥淚 think the book is its own experience,鈥� Han said, 鈥渁nd the show is its own experience.鈥�
5 Questions with Jenny Han
The show is an absolute phenomenon; it鈥檚 inescapable on social media and has cross-generational appeal. Why do you think this show is such a sensation?
鈥淚 think that if you are a grown adult, it is really nice to be able to think back to your own summers and falling in love for the first time. And you know, when you haven鈥檛 had your heart broken yet, I think it鈥檚 reminiscing about a different time for older people. But I think for younger people it鈥檚 aspirational. I think you鈥檙e imagining that could be your summer one day. Or maybe you are having your summer.鈥�
It鈥檚 a tale as old as time. Teenage angst, yearning, first kisses. Was this something you felt compelled to write about?
鈥淚 spent a lot of time in young adulthood because I think it鈥檚 just so ripe for story, you know, because you are experiencing it for the first time and you haven鈥檛 done it yet. You haven鈥檛 experienced it. So you don鈥檛 know yet that life will go on. So I think it all feels all the more amplified 鈥� As a storyteller, that鈥檚 just great drama.鈥�
The heart of the show is the love triangle between Belly and the two Fisher brothers, Jeremiah and Conrad. The three main characters have been through a lot: divorce, cheating, and Jeremiah and Conrad鈥檚 mother dying of cancer. How do you think about their actions in relation to this?
鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of weight on these young people because they have experienced a really big loss, a big trauma at a young age. And so I think they do hold each other tighter in some ways. But I also think in some ways, I think you just become there鈥檚 just clarity that comes out of loss. And so I would say they鈥檝e both experienced that and they know that they really love each other and care about each other and 鈥� I think that鈥檚 what they鈥檙e holding on to.鈥�
We鈥檝e made it clear that we on the Here & Now team is partial to brooding Conrad, who is now yearning for Belly while helping her marry his brother. You recently directed an episode of the show from Conrad鈥檚 perspective. What do you want viewers to understand about Conrad?
鈥淚 think when we first meet Conrad in season one, he 鈥� has that secret about his mom [that she鈥檚 dying of cancer] and he is brooding and he is really struggling with holding that inside. But it鈥檚 not his actual normal character.
鈥淪o season three, we鈥檙e meeting him, and it鈥檚 been a few years, and he鈥檚 been able to go out to California and kind of figure out who he is away from all that pain and all the drama with his brother and his ex-girlfriend. And I think he feels maybe more himself 鈥� You know, I think there was maybe a misconception about him at first. They鈥檙e like, 鈥榦h, he鈥檚 the bad boy. He鈥檚, you know, he鈥檚 no good.鈥� But I think that鈥檚 not actually who he really is.鈥�
So the first book this show is based on came out in 2009. We know you鈥檝e changed some things, but people can run back now and get the books to see how it ends. Or can they? Are you going to change it?
鈥淵ou know, there鈥檚 been changes all throughout. But I would say, yes, there are definitely going to be changes from the book.
鈥淚 hope that you can expect to feel satisfaction and enjoyment that you鈥檝e been on this journey with Belly and in this world with her.鈥�
And Conrad?
鈥淐onrad 鈥� and Jeremiah 鈥� and that isn鈥檛 necessarily 鈥� a black and white choice. Or even that there needs to be a choice.鈥�
This interview was edited for clarity.
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produced and edited this interview for broadcast with . Saxena also adapted it for the web.
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